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36. THE PRIORY OF WEYBOURNE

The Austin priory of Weybourne, or Waburn,
was founded in the reign of King John by Sir
Ralph Mainwaring, and dedicated to the Blessed
Virgin and All Saints. It was at first subordinate to the priory of West Acre.

In 1228 a fine was levied between Rodland,
prior of Weybourne and William Mainwaring
(grandson of the founder), by which 30s. rent at
Kessingland, Suffolk, was assigned to the
former. (fn. 1)

The king's escheator in 1275 distrained on
the prior and canons of Weybourne on account
of the 60 marks they had returned to the executors of John de Hedenham, which they had had
of John during his life, and by virtue of his
office recovered from them 5 marks. (fn. 2) The
taxation of 1291 gave the annual value of this
priory at £15 10s. 1½d. Its chief endowment
was the manor and church of Weybourne, but it
had small possessions in thirty Norfolk parishes.

Roger de Geistweyt, who was admitted prior
on 1 December, 1334, obtained licence from
Edward III in 1338 for the alienation in mortmain to the priory of Weybourne, by Adam de
Shyringham and John atte Eshe, of the advowson and appropriation of the church of Calkirk. (fn. 3)
In 1346 licence was obtained for the appropriation of the church of East Beckham. (fn. 4)

Prior Roger de Hoxne occurs in 1309; on
his death in 1314 a contest arose as to his successor between Henry the sub-prior and the
canons of Weybourne and the prior and convent
of West Acre. Weybourne claimed the right of
choosing a prior out of their own canons, but
the prior of West Acre asserted that the old use
was for Weybourne to seek licence to elect from
the superior house, and then to choose one of
the West Acre canons. On the matter being left
to arbitration, the right of choosing a prior out
of their own canons or otherwise was granted to
Weybourne for ever, but an annual pension of
7s. 6d. was assigned to the priory of West Acre.
This covenant was confirmed by the bishop of
Norwich in the early days of January, 1315, and
was again confirmed by the pope in 1319. (fn. 5)

On the death of Prior Elyngham, in 1422, it
was found that there were only two canons in
the house, John Newbury and John de Laxfield.
The number being insufficient for an election,
the bishop collated the latter as prior. (fn. 6)

Bishop Goldwell visited Weybourne Priory on
25 August, 1494, and found there Prior Clement
and three canons. One of the canons, Robert
Coker, served the cure of East Beckham, and
the church of Weybourne was sometimes served
by the prior and sometimes by a canon. The
canons were wont to receive 20s. as salary, but
the prior had not paid the salary of William
Williamson. The bishop found nothing worthy
of reformation, and so dissolved the visitation,
reserving power to make injunctions if he should
afterwards think it necessary. (fn. 7)

When the house was finally visited in July,
1514, by Bishop Meke, there was only a prior
and one canon. Canon William Herley said
that by the foundation there ought to be seven
canons or at the least three, but that now it was
scarcely possible to sustain these three through
the poverty of the house. The bishop enjoined
the prior to pay annually to his brother canon
the salary of 33s. 4d. (fn. 8)

John Frost was admitted prior on 15 June,
1526. On 16 July, 1530, the prior and single
canon changed places, Canon Thomas Bulman
being made prior and John Frost resigning to
become canon. On 11 August, 1534, both prior
and canon subscribed to the king's supremacy. (fn. 9)

The Valor of 1535, when John (sic) Bulman
is entered as prior, gave the clear annual value
of this small house as £28 7s. 2d.

The suppression commissioners of 1536
reported that the clear annual value of Weybourne was £24 19s. 6½d., with £5 11s. 9d.
for the demesne land. They found there two
religious persons 'of slaunderous name as ytt ys
sayde and they require thier dispensacion.'

There were three other persons who had their
living in the house, two of them having corrodies under the convent seal. The house was
in decay, and the lead and bells worth £60.
The movable goods were worth 57s. 2d. (fn. 10) The
same commissioners certified on 16 February,
1537, that the goods and chattels contained in
the inventory were sold to Thomas Pygeon for
66s. 8d. (fn. 11)

A full inventory taken later in the same year
shows the poverty of the house. The chief
ornament of the church was a copper-gilt cross
with a silver crucifix. There was an old
written missal, as well as 'a litill prynted masse
boke.' Mention is made of three chambers,
hall, buttery, parlour, kitchen, and brewhouse,
all meagrely furnished. The live stock simply
consisted of six swine. (fn. 12)

Immediately after its suppression, the priory,
with the rectories of Weybourne and East Beckham, were granted to John Gresham, son of
Richard Gresham, mercer of London. (fn. 13)

Thomas Bulman, the prior, obtained a pension of £4. (fn. 14) He was presented to the Norfolk
rectory of Egmere in 1543.

Footnotes

4. Ibid. 20, Edwd. III, pt. ii, m. 15. According
to a return made to the crown in 1416 of the
appropriated churches of this diocese, with the dates
of their appropriation, the church of Weybourne
was appropriated in 1106 at the time of the foundation, East Beckham in 1344, and Calkirk in 1411
(Norw. Epis. Reg. viii, 129).